Weather Cancellations Policies' Downfall

I took one step and saw the glistening of the ice beneath my snow boot clad feet. I took another, held onto the branches of a nearby bush and felt my foot sliding forward with no control. I quickly moved back to safer ground and considered my options. So, my next decision was to break this ice party up. I went back inside, grabbed the shovel, and attempted to chisel my way to my car. No luck. Solid as a rock.

By this point I am thinking, I cannot believe I work for a government who doesn't cancel work when you cannot even get to your car. I try again with no luck to get down my 3 measly steps without sliding onto my bottom. My last choice was to walk through the frozen grass and in between some bushes about 20 yards in the opposite direction, skid along the sidewalk and walk on the road just to get to my car safely without slipping.

I pick up my girlfriend, we drive the mile to work and then get out to walk the four blocks downtown to our work at the courthouse. We have a nasty brick side walked hill to make it down, and after attempting this ice slide, we hop onto the road and walk nearly in the middle of it just to get traction, even though we're being splashed by the cars driving by. All the while, we're just praying they see our brightly colored umbrellas before they hit us.

10 minutes later I arrive at work soaked to the gills by the down pouring rain in 32 degree weather and take off my boots and wet socks and sit at my desk in bare feet. Yuck.

What constitutes a school or place of business to cancel work in case of weather? As if the numerous ice/snow/sleet related accidents weren't indication enough of the outside conditions, I would hope someone had stepped outside onto their front step before they had decided to only call a two hour delay.

I can imagine our county commissioner and president judge standing at the front window of their huge homes with a warm fuzzy cashmere robe and slippers with a stogie hanging out their mouth, their morning paper under their arm and a steaming cup of Italian espresso in their favorite country club mug considering the endless ways to bring their bottom pay employees into work. I am sure thoughts of us $10.00 an hour employees trudging through the slush and ice in our cheap snow boots and flimsy parkas brings a smile to their mouth while they stand behind their lavish custom stained glass windows.

Maybe I am exaggerating but I often wonder why the employees that make the least amount of money are forced to walk four blocks into work from their illegal parking spaces running out every two hours to move the car to avoid tickets, or paying $9 a day to park in a garage a block away. However, those who make the most money in this building get top of the line under-building enclosed parking spaces free of charge. Sometimes I just wish we had an egalitarian society where we can all share in one beautiful, free parking garage.

Needless to say, I am still wet and cold, parents are calling in every two minutes to find out why court has not been cancelled despite the fact none of their children had to go to school today, and it is just miserable.

Now, back to my plans on how to further improve the work cancellation policy in regards to weather. An efficient and fair way to handle weather related conditions would be to have key point people throughout the county that are not only reliable, but trustworthy. If there is any indication of unsavory weather, those people are contacted and asked to give their opinion on road and sidewalk conditions only after having gone outside to firsthand experience the symptoms. From there, an average judgment call can be determined by their conjoined opinions and then finalized in decision by the overseer of the company or the school.

For our county, many people walk to work or travel a significant distance from their car to the front entrance of their building. Unfortunately, the county seems to only look at road travel conditions and does not consider that sidewalks could be intensely more dangerous to travel upon.

If the above suggestion cancellation policy were to go into effect, in return would be much more satisfied employees, as they would know that their employees first hand opinions are regarded with trust. Safer conditions would be implemented, and therefore, fewer accidents would occur during travel by car or foot in inclement weather.

I do not look forward to going back up the stairs into my home this evening. Or I should say, I do not look forward to sliding down the up stairs into my home this evening. I see a sprained ankle in my near future. Don't you?